Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 12 of 128 · 40 verses
Ravana Confesses; Kumbhakarna Rebukes Him
Ravana orders Prahasta to post the four divisions of the army to guard the city, and Prahasta does so. Then Ravana speaks to the assembly. They have always advised him well in every kind of affair; with them around him he flourishes like Indra among the Maruts. He would have consulted them sooner, but Kumbhakarna, the mightiest of warriors, was asleep these six months and has only now woken.
He has brought Rama’s beloved queen from the Dandaka forest, but she will not come to his bed. No woman in the three worlds is like her: slender-waisted, broad-hipped, her face like the autumn moon, like a golden image, like an illusion made by Maya; the sight of her coppery-nailed feet sets his body on fire. Overcome by desire, he granted her request for a year to wait for Rama, and he is worn out with longing like a horse after a long road. How can the monkeys and the two princes cross the ocean? Yet a single monkey has done them great harm. The course of events is hard to know; let each speak his mind. He fears no man, but let them consider how Sita can be kept and the two sons of Dasharatha killed.
Kumbhakarna is angry at this lament. When Sita was carried off by force, he says, that was the time to take counsel, as the Yamuna fills its bed before flowing on. All this should have been discussed at the start. A king who acts by right policy does not regret it later; actions done without proper means fail, like offerings given to the unworthy. One who does later what should come first, and first what should come later, does not know policy from folly. The enemy finds the weak spot of the rash man as birds find the hole in Mount Krauncha. You began a great undertaking without thinking; by good fortune Rama did not kill you, as one is killed by poisoned meat. Still, Kumbhakarna will set things right: he will kill the king’s enemies, even if they are Indra, the Sun, Fire, the Wind, Kubera or Varuna. Let Rama strike him once; before a second arrow, Kumbhakarna will drink his blood. He will kill Rama and Lakshmana and eat the monkey chiefs. Let the king enjoy himself and drink, free of care; when Rama is dead, Sita will be his.
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स तां परिषदं कृत्स्नां समीक्ष्य समितिंजयः । प्रचोदयामास तदा प्रहस्तं वाहिनीपतिम् ॥ १ ॥
Looking over that whole assembly, the conqueror in battle then urged Prahasta, the commander of the army:
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Ravana Confesses; Kumbhakarna Rebukes Him 1 min read.
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सेनापते यथा ते स्युः कृतविद्याश्चतुर्विधाः । योधा नगररक्षायां तथा व्यादेष्टुमर्हसि ॥ २ ॥
“Commander, you must give orders so that the warriors of the four divisions, trained in their skills, are placed for the protection of the city.”
स प्रहस्तः प्रणीतात्मा चिकीर्षन् राजशासनम् । विनिक्षिपद् बलं सर्वं बहिरन्तश्च मन्दिरे ॥ ३ ॥
Prahasta, self-disciplined, wishing to carry out the king’s command, deployed the whole army outside and inside the palace.
ततो विनिक्षिप्य बलं सर्वं नगरगुप्तये । प्रहस्तः प्रमुखे राज्ञो निषसाद जगाद च ॥ ४ ॥
Having deployed the whole army for the protection of the city, Prahasta sat before the king and said:
विहितं बहिरन्तश्च बलं बलवतस्तव । कुरुष्वाविमनाः क्षिप्रं यदभिप्रेतमस्ति ते ॥ ५ ॥
“The army of your mighty majesty has been posted outside and inside. Do quickly, without anxiety, whatever you intend.”
प्रहस्तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा राजा राज्यहितैषिणः । सुखेप्सुः सुहृदां मध्ये व्याजहार स रावणः ॥ ६ ॥
Hearing the words of Prahasta, who wished the kingdom well, King Ravana, wanting happiness, spoke among his friends:
प्रियाप्रिये सुखे दुःखे लाभालाभे हिताहिते । धर्मकामार्थकृच्छ्रेषु यूयमर्हथ वेदितुम् ॥ ७ ॥
“In what is pleasant and unpleasant, in happiness and sorrow, in gain and loss, in good and harm, in difficulties of dharma, pleasure and profit, you are fit to judge.
सर्वकृत्यानि युष्माभिः समारब्धानि सर्वदा । मन्त्रकर्मनियुक्तानि न जातु विफलानि मे ॥ ८ ॥
“All the tasks you have undertaken at all times, appointed by counsel and action, have never been fruitless for me.
ससोमग्रहनक्षत्रैर्मरुद्भिरिव वासवः । भवद्भिरहमत्यर्थं वृतः श्रियमवाप्नुयाम् ॥ ९ ॥
“Surrounded closely by you, like Vasava by the Maruts with the moon, planets and stars, may I win good fortune.
अहं तु खलु सर्वान् वः समर्थयितुमुद्यतः । कुम्भकर्णस्य तु स्वप्नान् नेममर्थमचोदयम् ॥ १० ॥
“I was ready to consult you all; but because of Kumbhakarna’s sleep I did not raise this matter.
अयं हि सुप्तः षण्मासान् कुम्भकर्णो महाबलः । सर्वशस्त्रभृतां मुख्यः स इदानीं समुत्थितः ॥ ११ ॥
“For mighty Kumbhakarna, chief of all who bear arms, has been asleep for six months; he has only now woken.
इयं च दण्डकारण्याद् रामस्य महिषी प्रिया । रक्षोभिश्चरितोद्देशादानीता जनकात्मजा ॥ १२ ॥
“This daughter of Janaka, Rama’s beloved queen, was brought from the Dandaka forest, from the place where the rakshasas roam.
सा मे न शय्यामारोढुमिच्छत्यलसगामिनी । त्रिषु लोकेषु चान्या मे न सीतासदृशी तथा ॥ १३ ॥
“She, slow of gait, does not want to mount my bed; and in the three worlds there is no other woman like Sita for me.
तनुमध्या पृथुश्रोणी शरदिन्दुनिभानना । हेमबिम्बनिभा सौम्या मायेव मयनिर्मिता ॥ १४ ॥
“Slender-waisted, broad-hipped, her face like the autumn moon, like a golden image, gentle, like an illusion created by Maya:
सुलोहिततलौ श्लक्ष्णौ चरणौ सुप्रतिष्ठितौ । दृष्ट्वा ताम्रनखौ तस्या दीप्यते मे शरीरजः ॥ १५ ॥
“seeing her feet, very red-soled, smooth, firmly set, with coppery nails, the fire of love in my body blazes.
हुताग्नेरर्चिसंकाशामेनां सौरीमिव प्रभाम् । उन्नसं विमलं वल्गु वदनं चारुलोचनम् ॥ १६ ॥
“Like the flame of a fire fed with offerings, like the light of the sun; her face with its high nose, spotless, lovely, with beautiful eyes:
पश्यंस्तदवशस्तस्याः कामस्य वशमेयिवान् । क्रोधहर्षसमानेन दुर्वर्णकरणेन च ॥ १७ ॥
“seeing it, I have lost control and fallen under the power of desire, which, with anger and joy alike, makes one pale,
शोकसंतापनित्येन कामेन कलुषीकृतः । सा तु संवत्सरं कालं मामयाचत भामिनी ॥ १८ ॥
“always with grief and anguish, has clouded my mind. And that lovely lady asked me for a year’s time,
प्रतीक्षमाणा भर्तारं राममायतलोचना । तन्मया चारुनेत्रायाः प्रतिज्ञातं वचः शुभम् ॥ १९ ॥
“waiting for her husband Rama, the long-eyed one. I gave that lovely-eyed lady my word, a gracious promise.
श्रान्तोऽहं सततं कामाद् यातो हय इवाध्वनि । कथं सागरमक्षोभ्यं तरिष्यन्ति वनौकसः ॥ २० ॥
“I am worn out constantly by desire, like a horse on a long road. How will the forest-dwellers cross the unshakeable ocean,
बहुसत्त्वझषाकीर्णं तौ वा दशरथात्मजौ । अथवा कपिनैकेन कृतं नः कदनं महत् ॥ २१ ॥
“full of many creatures and fish, or those two sons of Dasharatha? Yet great slaughter has been done to us by one monkey.
दुर्ज्ञेयाः कार्यगतयो ब्रूत यस्य यथामति । मानुषान्नो भयं नास्ति तथापि तु विमृश्यताम् ॥ २२ ॥
“The courses of events are hard to know: speak, each as he thinks. We have no fear from a man; yet let it be considered.
तदा देवासुरे युद्धे युष्माभिः सहितोऽजयम् । ते मे भवन्तश्च तथा सुग्रीवप्रमुखान् हरीन् ॥ २३ ॥
“When the war of gods and asuras came, I won it together with you; and you are with me now. Sugriva and the other monkeys,
परे पारे समुद्रस्य पुरस्कृत्य नृपात्मजौ । सीतायाः पदवीं प्राप्य सम्प्राप्तौ वरुणालयम् ॥ २४ ॥
“putting the two princes in front, having found Sita’s track, have reached the far shore of the ocean, Varuna’s home.
अदेया च यथा सीता वध्यौ दशरथात्मजौ । भवद्भिर्मन्त्र्यतां मन्त्रः सुनीतं चाभिधीयताम् ॥ २५ ॥
“So that Sita need not be given up, and the two sons of Dasharatha may be killed, let counsel be taken by you, and good policy be spoken.
नहि शक्तिं प्रपश्यामि जगत्यन्यस्य कस्यचित् । सागरं वानरैस्तीर्त्वा निश्चयेन जयो मम ॥ २६ ॥
“I see no power in anyone else in the world to cross the ocean with monkeys; victory is surely mine.”
तस्य कामपरीतस्य निशम्य परिदेवितम् । कुम्भकर्णः प्रचुक्रोध वचनं चेदमब्रवीत् ॥ २७ ॥
Hearing the lament of that one overcome by desire, Kumbhakarna grew angry and said this:
यदा तु रामस्य सलक्ष्मणस्य प्रसह्य सीता खलु सा इहाहृता । सकृत् समीक्ष्यैव सुनिश्चितं तदा भजेत चित्तं यमुनेव यामुनम् ॥ २८ ॥
“When Sita was brought here by force from Rama and Lakshmana, that was the time to examine it once and resolve it, as the Yamuna fills its bed before it flows on.
सर्वमेतन्महाराज कृतमप्रतिमं तव । विधीयेत सहास्माभिरादावेवास्य कर्मणः ॥ २९ ॥
“All this, great king, that you have done is unworthy. It should have been settled with us at the very beginning of this act.
न्यायेन राजकार्याणि यः करोति दशानन । न स संतप्यते पश्चान्निश्चितार्थमतिर्नृपः ॥ ३० ॥
“The king who does royal business by right policy, ten-faced one, does not suffer afterwards, his mind settled on its purpose.
अनुपायेन कर्माणि विपरीतानि यानि च । क्रियमाणानि दुष्यन्ति हवींष्यप्रयतेष्विव ॥ ३१ ॥
“Actions done without proper means, and perverse ones, are spoiled when done, like offerings given to the unworthy.
यः पश्चात् पूर्वकार्याणि कर्माण्यभिचिकीर्षति । पूर्वं चापरकार्याणि स न वेद नयानयौ ॥ ३२ ॥
“He who wants to do afterward what should be done first, and first what should be done later, does not know good policy from bad.
चपलस्य तु कृत्येषु प्रसमीक्ष्याधिकं बलम् । छिद्रमन्ये प्रपद्यन्ते क्रौञ्चस्य खमिव द्विजाः ॥ ३३ ॥
“Seeing greater strength, others find the weak spot in a rash man’s undertakings, as birds find the gap in Krauncha.
त्वयेदं महदारब्धं कार्यमप्रतिचिन्तितम् । दिष्ट्या त्वां नावधीद् रामो विषमिश्रमिवामिषम् ॥ ३४ ॥
“You have begun this great undertaking without thinking it through. By good fortune Rama did not kill you, as poisoned meat kills.
तस्मात् त्वया समारब्धं कर्म ह्यप्रतिमं परैः । अहं समीकरिष्यामि हत्वा शत्रूंस्तवानघ ॥ ३५ ॥
“So the action you have begun, unfit as it is, I will set right by killing your enemies, sinless one.
अहमुत्सादयिष्यामि शत्रूंस्तव निशाचर । यदि शक्रविवस्वन्तौ यदि पावकमारुतौ । तावहं योधयिष्यामि कुबेरवरुणावपि ॥ ३६ ॥
“I will root out your enemies, night-wanderer, even if they are Shakra and the Sun, or Fire and the Wind; I will fight Kubera and Varuna too.
गिरिमात्रशरीरस्य महापरिघयोधिनः । नर्दतस्तीक्ष्णदंष्ट्रस्य बिभीयाद् वै पुरंदरः ॥ ३७ ॥
“Purandara himself would fear me, with a body the size of a mountain, fighting with a great iron bar, roaring, with sharp tusks.
पुनर्मां स द्वितीयेन शरेण निहनिष्यति । ततोऽहं तस्य पास्यामि रुधिरं काममाश्वस ॥ ३८ ॥
“Let him strike me once; before he can kill me with a second arrow, I will drink his blood. Take heart as you please.
वधेन वै दाशरथेः सुखावहं जयं तवाहर्तुमहं यतिष्ये । हत्वा च रामं सह लक्ष्मणेन खादामि सर्वान् हरियूथमुख्यान् ॥ ३९ ॥
“By killing Dasharatha’s son I will try to bring you victory that brings happiness; and having killed Rama with Lakshmana, I will eat all the chiefs of the monkey troops.
रमस्व कामं पिब चाग्र्यवारुणीं कुरुष्व कार्याणि हितानि विज्वरः । मया तु रामे गमिते यमक्षयं चिराय सीता वशगा भविष्यति ॥ ४० ॥
“Enjoy yourself as you like, drink the finest wine, do your beneficial business free of fever. When I have sent Rama to Yama’s abode, Sita will be in your power for a long time.”